UCLA PLI Cohort 19

Congratulations to Our Alumni

PLI congratulates and celebrates the following alumni for their recent promotions and achievements.

January 2024 Update

Brandy Byers, Cohort 2, was promoted to Executive Director of the Contra Costa School of Performing Arts.

Jennifer Yoo, Cohort 2, was promoted to Regional Director, North Region, in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Steve Richardson, Cohort 4, was promoted to Executive Director of Elementary Education in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District.

Kara Heinrich Daugherty, Cohort 5, was promoted to Senior Director of Elementary Schools in the Torrance Unified School District.

Brooke Soles, Cohort 8, was promoted to Associate Professor at California State University San Marcos.

Stepan Mekhitarian, Cohort 10, was promoted to Western Regional Manager for K12 Outreach for Intuit.

Carolina Irias Laureano, Cohort 11, was promoted to Assistant Principal of Secondary Counseling Secondary at Carver Middle School in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Catherine Tran, Cohort 13, was promoted to Senior Program Manager at TGR Foundatin, A Tiger Woods Charity.

Yvette Fraga, Cohort 16, was promoted to Assistant Principal at Walnut Park STEM Middle School in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Michael Messina, Cohort 17, was promoted to Principal at 20th Street Elementary School in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Sheena Roybal, Cohort 17, was promoted Special Education Director II for Ontario Montclair School District.

Kylie Rector, Cohort 19, was promoted to Senior Director for Academics for Camino Nuevo Charter Academy.

Alejandra Gutierrez, Cohort 20, was promoted to Assistant Principal at Pershing School at Berwyn South School District.

Rachel Dario-Endriga, Cohort 21, was promoted to Assistant Principal at Norwood Street Elementary School in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Jessica Diaz, Cohort 21, was promoted to a Science Specialist at Environmental Charter Schools.

Danielle Grasso, Cohort 21, was promoted to Principal at Coeur D’Alene Avenue Elementary School in the Venice Community of Schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Kriscia Tejada, Cohort 21, was promoted to Assistant Principal at the Los Angeles Academy of Arts and Enterprise in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Alecia Gonzales, Cohort 22, was promoted to Assistant Principal, Secondary Counseling Services at Fremont High School in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Michele Durfee, Cohort 22, was promoted to Community Schools Specialist at Sierra Vista High School in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Tiffany Mathiesen, Cohort 22, was promoted to Assistant Principal at Culver City Middle School in the Culver City Unified School District.

Vanessa Mosqueda, Cohort 22, was promoted to Literacy Coach Cesar Chavez Elementary School in Long Beach Unified School District. In addition, she was appointed to the City Commission at the Long Beach Commission for Women and Girls.

February 2023 Update

Leyda Garcia, Cohort 7, is now the Associate Director for Professional Learning at the UCLA Center for Community Schooling and State Transformational Assistance Center Community Schools.

Roy Lopez,  Cohort 8, was promoted to Coordinator-Educational Services in the Redondo Beach Unified School District.

Miguel Espinoza, Cohort 12, is the new Founding Principal at Allegiance STEAM Academy THRIVE.

Leslie Hooe, Cohort 12, was promoted to Assistant Principal at Grapeland Elementary School in the Grapeland Independent School District.

Ana-Maria Madero, Cohort 13, was promoted to Assistant Principal at Central High School/Tri-C in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Damion Nunley, Cohort 14, was promoted to Director of Black Student Achievement in the Compton Unified School District.

Armando Castro, Cohort 15, was promoted to Curriculum Specialist at Chavez Continuation High School in the Compton Unified School District.

Rene Quon, Cohort 15, was promoted to Principal at Cherrylee Elementary School in El Monte Unified School District.

Michael Bosler, Cohort 16, was promoted to Principal at Mark Twain Elementary School in the Lawndale Elementary School District.

Sylvia Macias, Cohort 21, was promoted to Assistant Principal at Stevenson Middle School in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Eugenia Plascencia, Cohort 21, was promoted to Targeted Student Population Coordinator at Social Justice Humanitas.

Amparo Martin, Cohort 22, was promoted to Assistant Principal at Florence Griffith Joyner Elementary and Visual and Arts Performance Magnet in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Sandra Proano-Montanez, Cohort 22, was promoted to Assistant Principal at Rowan Avenue Elementary and Dual Language School in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

November 2022 Update

Megan Guerrero, Cohort 2, was promoted to Administrator of Parent and Community Engagement in the Los Angeles Unified School District Local District Central.

Daniel Kim, Cohort 5, was promoted to Administrative Coordinator for the Los Angeles Preliminary Administrative Services Credential Program in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Linda Yaron Weston, Cohort 7, just wrote a new book:  Teaching Resilience and Mental Health Across the Curriculum .

María Ozaeta, Cohort 8, was promoted to Principal of STEAM Virtual Academy TK-12 in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Andre Hargunani, Cohort 10, was promoted to Director of Equity for Vancouver Public Schools.

Eduardo Zurita, Cohort 11, was promoted to Assistant Principal at Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Julianne Tetreault, Cohort 11, was promoted to Assistant Principal at Wilmington Middle School STEAM Magnet in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Eriberto Martinez, Cohort 13, was promoted to Assistant Principal at Mango Elementary and North Tamarind Elementary Schools in the Fontana Unified School District.

Anne-Marie Young, Cohort 14, was promoted to Magnet Coordinator at Plascencia Steam Magnet in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Niki Schepper, Cohort 14, was promoted to Chief of Staff at West Ada School District.

Michelle Lee, Cohort 15, was promoted to Instructional Coach/College and Career Coach at Utah Street Span School in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Kristyn Cota, Cohort 17, was promoted to Intervention Coordinator at Nightingale Middle School in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Stephanie Lee, Cohort 17, was promoted to Principal at Alliance College-Ready Public Schools.

LaNea Austin, Cohort 19, was promoted to Assistant Principal at Crenshaw High School in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Ana Ramos, Cohort 20, was promoted to Dual Language Education Expert for the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Candice Smith, Cohort 20, was promoted to Director of Special Education and Student Services at New Los Angeles Charter School.

Katherine Diaz-Martinez, Cohort 21, was promoted to Vice Principal at Palmdale High School in the Antelope Valley Union High School District.

Kevin Murchie, Cohort 21, was promoted to Assistant Principal at Lincoln High School in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Haena Shin, Cohort 21, was promoted to Title I Coordinator/Categorical Program Advisor at Brockton Elementary School in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Stephanie Fonseca, Cohort 22, was promoted to Assistant Principal, at Blair High School in the Pasadena Unified School District.

June 2022 Update

Estella Hernandez Patel, Cohort 9, was promoted to Principal at Victoria Elementary School in the Redlands Unified School District.

Lindsey Corcoran, Cohort 10, was promoted to Principal at Laurel Cinematic Arts and Creative Technologies Magnet School in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Leslie Hooe, Cohort 12, was promoted to Assistant Principal at Grapeland Elementary School in the Grapeland ISD.

Tabitha Pang, Cohort 12, was promoted to Instructional Expert at Historic Central Avenue Community of Schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Ngay Tang, Cohort 16, was promoted to Assistant Principal at Eagle Rock Junior/Senior High School in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Janette Durán-Aguirre, Cohort 17, was included in an article in the LA Times “LAUSD may elevate status of American Sign Language.”

Jennifer Pringle-Starr, Cohort 20, was promoted to Principal of Saints Felicitas and Perpetua School.

Paul Kim, Cohort 21, was promoted to Vice Principal at Yorba Linda Middle School in the Placentia Yorba-Linda Unified School District.

Selene Larin, Cohort 21, was promoted to Title III Coordinator at Union Avenue Elementary School in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Megan Lee, Cohort 21, was promoted to Executive Director at Summit Public Schools K2.

Jennifer Almer-Johnson, Cohort 22, was promoted to Principal at Emerson Elementary School in the Burbank Unified School District.

Leading for Justice

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